This issue’s cover is a photo by Pat Ward of the house built by BHM Publisher Dave Duffy in the Oregon woods.

The house essentially launched Backwoods Home Magazine, as Duffy realized that anyone could do what he had done. Like one of the major articles in this issue, Build a $10,000 home, Duffy’s house also cost him $10,000 to build.

The house has since been enlarged and sold, but the lesson lives on"anyone can build their own affordable home.

Building and tools

In this, the third installment of Jackie’s popular “build your own log home series,” she finally puts windows, doors, and a porch on the log home we’ve watched going up for the last two issues.

36 Build a house for less than $10,000—We did it! By Judy Statezny Ulch

Believe it or not, Judy Ulch and her husband built their own beautiful home for less than $10,000. They did it by getting most of the materials that went into it either for free or for next to nothing. In this article she tells you how you can do it, too

62 Build a split-rail fence in impossible soil By Dorothy Ainsworth

Dorothy’s back and she shows us how she built a beautiful but inexpensive split-rail fence on her property with just split logs, some rebar, and a little copper wire.